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AUCD - Hill Visits

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Wednesday, November 8, 2017 12:30 PM

Session Description

You are strongly encouraged to visit your Members of Congress while in Washington for the AUCD Conference. Your Senators and Representatives need to hear directly from you about the work that you do and why it is important to people with disabilities in your state and nationwide as we work to build new congressional champions on disability issues.These visits ensure that your Senators and Representatives hear directly from you about the work that you do and why it is important to people with disabilities in your state and nationwide, and begin forming relationships with new congressional champions on disability issues.

You will need to call your Members to schedule the meetings before you arrive.  If you haven't already done so, we suggest that you do this as soon as possible but at least a week in advance.  Making appointments and meeting with your Members is easy! Just follow these simple steps:

  1. Call the Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senator or Representative or use our Action Center and enter your Zip Code to find your officials' phone numbers.
  2. Ask to speak to the staff person that handles health, disability or appropriations (if they are on the Appropriations Committee)
  3. Say that you would like to schedule an appointment for Dec. 7 early in the afternoon to provide an update on the research, education, training, and services your Center is providing.
  4. Then make the next appointment. (Schedule Senate or House visits together and give yourself at least 30 minutes to walk to the other side of the Capitol.  We suggest scheduling multiple meetings in 30 minute increments.) See also these Tips for Making Hill visits prepared for the Disability Policy Seminar.
  5. Prioritize your visits depending on the Committee assignments of your Members of Congress or as well as the representative that is in the district of the Center (see full congressional directory on AUCD's Action Center. Is your Member on the House orSenate Appropriations Committee? If so, s/he please make that visit a priority! 
  6. Use the attached sample talking points or prepare your own. Take copies of research briefs, helpful data, and real people stories and tie them to your policy objectives.
    Contact Kim Musheno with specific policy questions or if you need assistance to make your appointments.
  7. Finally, provide us feedback from your visits. We will provide feedback forms to help you.

Thanks again for making an effort to meet with your Members of Congress or their staff.  This activity will help policymakers make better policy decisions and help AUCD advocate for congressional support of network activities!